Robo Taco

This was a fun spot to check out. The name caught our eye, and we love tacos. Near where we were. The food was absolutely delicious. We totally plan on coming back. There's only a handful of tables, but we had no problem finding a spot, and there were outside tables free.

I was walking in the neighborhood and was craving a burrito. 🌯 My friend told me about this place saying it was her late night go to spot. I am always on the hunt for good quality vegan options so I was thrilled to see soy curl al pastor on the menu. I will definitely back! Yum 😋

I visited this place with my office friend and his group. We had fun and enjoyed our food. This place provides good Mexican options - Chicken Burrito, super cheese loaded nachos, coconut base Horchata. I recommend this place for a quick Mexican affair. Food - Good Mexican food, would have loved sweet onion or similar sauce. The menu contains a variety of Mexican options. Drinks - I liked the Horchata Ambience - Seems hip. Dark ambience with loud music, hard to converse, need to repeat often. The place is small and has an intimate bar. Kid Friendly: The place has a dark ambience, a hip vibe and loud and sometimes age-inappropriate music. Still, it depends on the kid's preferences and parents' opinions. I would be fine with bringing my daughter along if she loved Mexican food. I saw a kid's high chair. Accessibility - the toilet has a step in a narrow corridor. Service: I expected a better service given the size. Adding a management person or process for order updates and follow-through would help. We have to ask again and the counter guy has to recheck the bills to confirm if we have really added two more Horchatas. Parking: No parking nearby, accept a spot within a block

This is definitely one of the gems of east side Portland. You have to come here. The food will blow your mind away. This is the pinnacle Portland culinary.

Amazing food - I tried chicken and vegan options, and ended up coming back for another visit, when I tried the burrito. There was a nice selection of sauces, and the atmosphere was casual and relaxed. The staff was friendly and made sure everything was good without hovering around the table. The neighborhood is dealing with homelessness and hard drug use on the street.

Fun popular spot, friends and I like to visit this place a couple times a month. Staff is always friendly, tacos are tasty, and they have some great entrees + great selection of custom and classic cocktails. Definitely worth stopping by if you’re in the area.

Really love the vegan options. Not only are they vegan, which we appreciate, but they are actually astonishingly, delicious and full of flavor and depth. I do wish the salsa didn’t sit on the table all day, though. They have five delicious sauces at each table and if you order to go, they give you one of each salsa in your bag with your burrito. I find the prices to be good and the food delicious. Definitely stop in.

Nice selection of tacos and proteins to fill 'em ... tacos are a little on the small side but very tasty. Two taco combo for me was plenty filling. Atmosphere is awesome, loved visiting this place.

Decent Portland staple taco shop. Fairly cheap and an array of sauces offered to spice up your tacos!

Came in just for one taco. Glad I did. The pork belly bursts with flavor when consumed. The service was quick. Surprisingly tasty

I've been going to Robo Taco for over 10 years. Tonight, I had the best meal I've ever had here. The pork belly taco is a MUST! But you really can't go wrong with any taco on the menu. Definitely order the lil nachos with carne asada. They come with fresh fried tortillas, queso and jalapeños. Margaritas are an obvious and delicious choice but they have Modelo on tap with fresh limes! My favorite sauces are the two green versions but you can choose from the five sauces at the table and enjoy people watching at night! So glad they've extended their hours almost as late as pre pandemic. Such a solid stop on the way home from the bar or club! The service was beyond outstanding and it was an enjoyable experience. Was too busy grubbin' to take pics!

Love these guys! They deserve a medal. Staying open and taking orders until actual closing time. Seriously a lost art in Portland. Everyone closes early and stops serving food well before the end of the day. Thanks for feeding me and my friends late night.

Stopped by after a night out. One of the best vegan burritos I've ever had! Had half the same night and the other half for lunch and I would definitely go back again! The service was quick, the employees were kind, and they even had free lollipops lol!

Fantastic anytime! Robo Taco is a staple in Portland for any late-night group of friends or midday lunch dates. The dive-bar-like interior is welcoming and curated, and it features large booths with cute bar seating. The restrooms are individual and quite clean and spacious. I really love it when bars like this one leave the user-added graffiti and messages up--such a vibe! Service is fast-casual, meaning you'll order with the main server at the bar and then take a number to whichever table you choose. In July, the team is participating in Slushie Month, so be sure to stop by and enjoy your favorite alcohol-based slushie. We added rum to ours. The menu is not too broad, so if you have challenges with large menus (as I do), you'll enjoy the selection here. The standout dish of our night was the cow tongue taco, a soft, flavorful, and unique creation that truly impressed us. It's not often you find a place in Portland that can pull off this classic dish with such finesse. We chose to sit outside on the spacious streetside patio. The tables are sturdy and covered, and the unique chairs added to the late night vibe. While it would be nice if the streetscape had more greenery, this is feedback for PBOT. The good news is, cycling lanes and bike sharing are close by, making it easy to enjoy the great food and good summer weather without the need to drive.

Always a great late night spot to get some yummy tacos. Pork belly tacos with the Avocado salsa is a perfect combo

Place is pretty chill, has a full bar and bomb food. Kinda divey and I like that. The meat is cooked great I usually get the large taco and it's pretty filling, street tacos are great too

After avoiding Robo Taco for years, I finally took the plunge and am kicking myself for not coming sooner. Why avoid it? Well, because I'm a snooty out of towner... when I moved to Portland from Chicago many years ago, all of my local friends talked up Robo Taco as a great spot. Which in turn caused me to think it wasn't good? Don't ask me why, something about "Old Portland" and me only being interested in trendy new spots OR greasy "authentic" food carts. I know, I'm part of the problem :| Anyways, after eight years in Portland I gave in and hit up Robo with a buddy after a few beers at Loyal Legion. First impression looking at the menu confirmed my bias-- "oh look, a $13 burrito", accompanied by an eye roll. I got the barbacoa burrito and my friends, this is where I accepted reality: Robo Taco is good! My burrito was absolutely MASSIVE and very tasty. Well worth the price, it's easily two meals if you're not starving (or haven't been drinking lol). It immediately went on my list of favorite dishes in Portland. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the burrito, thus proving that the camera doesn't always eats first when the food is good. I liked Robo Taco so much, I went back later that same weekend to try the tacos and a few of the other meats. I got al pastor, carnitas, and barbacoa again. They were serviceable, but it was clear to me that the burritos are where it's at. I'm glad I wrote this review because it's reminding me I want to go back and get that barbacoa burrito again!

This was going to be a two star and not a three star review, but the food was good so I have to say yay, ok, I enjoyed the meal. The attitude however was lousy. You know, I've lived all over the US and have eaten in many major cities, so I know you get different service when you're in NYC or Philly than you do in Tampa or SoCal or even Seattle. In Portland, this shit doesn't fly. I'm not asking for pampering or niceties, I'm saying just be communicative and pleasant. If I don't have an attitude, don't bring it to the table. I thought it might be because they were busy, so I almost didn't say anything, but it seems to be an issue. So I'm saying something for others who might want to venture in. I had a vegan mushroom burrito. I really liked it. A bit garlicky, as stated on the menu, but mild enough to be enjoyable. The mushrooms felt a little slimy but the burrito was huge and filling and I was content. My partner had the vegan soy pastor tacos. He really enjoyed them but questioned the pineapple choice. It's because of him that I gave this 3 stars. Normally I don't even do a review for three stars. My friend got the veg sausage burrito. She said it was too spicy for her. It says spicy so watch out. Let's say this, if you want to go somewhere to eat decent Mexican food, feel like you're bothering someone when you order, want to wait too long, and then want to feel even worse when you ask about the food that is taking too long, go here...or keep driving and find a place you're excited to go into. 3 stars for the food. 2 stars to never go back in unless I happen to go with others again. At least I'll have my expectations set.

Good food for a decent price! I got the vegetarian burrito with soy pastor filling. The filling was pretty good, but not my favorite. But the rest of the burrito was great! I also got their horchata, which was really good! The decor was super cute and the restaurant had a good amount of seating. All the servers I spoke to were friendly and helpful.

Was getting hungry for dinner and needed some place I could walk to from my hotel. I didn't want to hit a spot I'd already done since I'm leaving town and trying to get as much exposure to local stuff as possible. Saw the map pop up a taco place and scrolled through the menu. As an Angeleno, I always feel happy with a taco especially if I can find a good non-meat substitute. This place had several meat replacement options so I headed over. Truthfully, ordering nachos can be very hit or miss...stale chips, too heavy handed or light on toppings, unmelted cheese, etc. I opted for the Al pastor nachos (even though that very morning I was involved in a discussion about loving Al pastor but we only ever wanted pineapple in it if it was a taco, not a burrito or anything else). I had doubts about my choice the whole walk back to my hotel room. But then I ate the nachos and I was actively seeking out the pineapple bites. I got the two hottest salsas (habanero & an Arbol I believe) and the spicy red with the pineapple was to die for. My stomach was so happy and I don't think I've ever come so close to finishing a whole thing of nachos as I did last night. Definitely recommend. The place was very cool vibe inside with friendly staff and looked like some outdoor seating as well, plus a small bar (caught some frozen drink options there too).

Both vegan and meat options I have indulged in here over the years are consistently tasty and on point. Best carne asada chips I've had in Portland. Fresh chips, high quality ingredients and they put the toppings on the side for takeout so everything is still hot and crispy by the time you get home. Great salsa selection too! Big chicken taco was also very good, though I would prefer grilled chicken to shredded. Nice marinade though and all the meats were well seasoned. Will be back and often! Very clean and unpretentious. Thank you.

Sauce 3/5 avocado mild and Arbol Chile is the best sauces. Tacos 4/5 Barbacoa & fish are average. Nothing that will blow you away. Al pastor above average. Burrito 3.5/5 surprisingly bigger than I thought. Got al pastor. Rice a bit mushy and lack flavor Service is the basic Portland 20% tip where I bus and get my own drink I'm giving it a 3 because I wouldn't come back unless someone really wanted to go there. Plenty of better tacos in Portland.

Obsessed with their salsa options, but my burrito was just ok. I got the Al Pastor. It was a bit dry. But it stood up on its own and I enjoyed that, ha. Chips and salsa super tasty, and great chip texture! I enjoyed the ambiance. My date and I cozied up at the bar and appreciated the mood lighting and intimate setting.

Great ambience. The food was cheap enough and good. Cool employees and close to lots of activities

After opening to much fanfare close to a decade ago, Robo Taco became one of the city's most well known hipster Mexican spots. It was never a place that was considered a beacon of authenticity, given its Cali-Mex inspired roots, but instead was a late night destination that became a local haunt for many post nightlife goers. The ambiance and late night availability that was once a draw is no more. Pandemic life has relegated it something like Waffle Window (#1), where it's become primarily a takeout biz with oddish hours and little to no seating. While I don't want to think their best days are behind them, I think it may be from a service perspective. It hasn't been their best feature by any stretch. While the food can hold its own in most circles, it's not enough to cover the fact the place has lost its edge. Ambiance goes far in some circles but if the food isn't up to par, then the appeal gets lost quickly. Couple the fact it can get spendy very quickly, suddenly the tacos / burritos are just a little less tasty. The one thing I have always enjoyed over the years has been their lengua quesadilla. Unlike the tacos, the quesadilla has a hearty feel to it and unlike the burritos, there's a good amount of protein in it. I appreciate a little dousing of the salsa verde and a good appetite. Here's hoping they bounce back to respectability soon. _____________ (#1) Minus the stellar ratings: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-waffle-window-portland

My friend and I stopped by after attending a wedding next door. There were people at the counter and a person behind the counter talking with them. We waited while they were just having a conversation for about 5-8 minutes and when I tried to get attention the guy behind didn't acknowledge us so we left. We had a 50 minute drive.

I have to stop every time I'm in Portland. The tacos are amazing, and the variety of delicious salsas is an added bonus. Real laid back vibe, great drink selection and really great pricing. The service is fast and always friendly.

I love Robo Taco. This place is fucking great. The vegan options are top notch, especially the "vegan veg sausage burrito." (That name is an awkward name but the extra 'veg' makes a vegan feel safe.) The salsas are wonderful. The habanero is actually spicy like it should be. The mushroom tacos and soy curl pastor are also super solid. All three make for a great taco plate. I've also never received a vegan ingredient mistake -- over a decade -- so y'all have my heart forever.

Oyster tacos! I cried tears of joy when I saw this on their menu. I went here after a Timbers game, away from the traffic. Parking not a challenge at 10pm. If this place was closed , I would've had other choices within blocks of each other. For $13! Get the taco plate for any 3 tacos. Otherwise , $5 each taco. So many choices , but next time I'll get all oyster tacos . It comes with pinto beans and rice. I cleaned my plate. I hope they never run out of oysters when I show up. The fish taco was ok but it was mostly batter. Each taco was overflowing with cabbage and comes with plenty of limes. And the tacos don't really need sauce but if you must , they had tomatillo, jalapeño, avocado and more heat. Indoor and outdoor seating. I'm so happy to discover this place. Also loved my fruit slushie with tequila.

ordered a nacho with Carne Asada. Upon arrival of the nacho. It was covered with cheese , so I was unable to see all of the toppings until pretty much eating, the entire nacho and realizing there's no Carne Asada after I told the waiter, what does he do? He brings me a box of carne Asada solo by itself, lol . I got a couple tortillas to make tacos with it and called it good .

I would write "amazing" and nothing else, but Yelp doesn't like that so here's the deal, everything I've tried here is really good. I can eat tacos anytime, everyday, blah blah. And I've gone to many of what people call "great taco bars" around the city. This is the best taco place hands down. Give it a try next time you're craving tacos - you won't be disappointed.

A friend of a friend is from Portland and sent us to Robo Taco for burritos and we were not disappointed! This is a fun spot for a quick lunch or dinner. Smaller menu means less time debating what time to order which I find helpful! I ordered the vegan burrito with mushrooms and was ready to go back the next day to order the same thing!

Solid taco choice. We split several tacos and the nachos were fantastic. Definitely could've used some more moisture in the tacos because everthing felt a bit dry but loved the flavors.

This taco spot is currently open from 12-9. Takeout window only. Although I've never gotten takeout here before, I chanced it because...well...I was hungry. Have eaten here various times, but I was usually intoxicated. Good to know that the food is still edible when sober. I ordered a regular al pastor burrito and soy curl al pastor/verde tacos. The soy tacos were very plain, not much taste to them other than grill flavor. Wouldn't get them again. We all know soy curls taste best when infused with flavor. I'd stick to the mushroom tacos if you're going vegetarian. The burrito I preferred, as the pork was lean and the pineapple wasn't canned. Recommend if you're hungry, as it's pretty filling. Comes with beans, rice, pico, meat, cheese, and sour cream. The only highly disappointing thing was the avocado salsa. It was ridiculously salty. I mean, "whoops the cap fell off of the salt shaker" salty. Maybe it was just this batch. Either way, they should taste it more often.

I had heard good things about this place, but had never stopped because parking sucks in that neighborhood. I and a friend were nearby and decided to give it a try. You will notice immediately that it is a bar, and small. No biggie, as I like beer with tacos. They all looked good, but the thing that got me was the oysters. I had never had an oyster taco, so I ordered one large taco with oysters, and a pint of beer. My friend got the pork taco. They were served very quickly, piping hot. My oysters were hot and crispy, and the taco was delicious. My friend's pork taco was excellent. They gave us a caddy with six hot sauces, so we went to town. We thanked the fellow running the bar and left. Dunno about my friend, but I will definitely be back for the oyster taco.

It's a dark and small place but don't let that fool you, cause the food is amazing! We had 3 kinds of tacos. The price may surprise you for a street taco - $3.00-$5.25 - but I easily had 4 tacos for the price of 2 based on the amount of meat they added. Oyster taco - not pictured - crispy fried oyster, hearty amount of meat with a simple crema. Al pastor - the pork was crispy yet so juicy and the tiny slices of pineapple were amazing and a perfect learning. Carne asada - the beef was a tiny bit tough at points but otherwise was really flavorful and there was a heaping amount. They have a large array of hot sauces as well for pretty much any heat level you would like. Definitely give it a whirl if you're in SE anytime soon.

2 stars for flavor only. Your way over priced for street taco (2 bites) sad. 2 tiny tacos a spoonful of beans and rice. This dish look like the dishes they have posted. I wanted to like this place. But not going back. Way over priced for so so flavor

excellent burrito and great salsas, good location,Ive had their nachos which are also vey good

Solid choice for a quick bite before going out. The chicken tacos were FIRE. The pork tacos were yummy as well. The steak tacos were not my favorite as they were a bit chewy.

Their vegan options are amazing. I had their al pastor tacos SOOO GOOD. The guacamole sauce was so good but spicy, in a good way. I did wait like 20 min for my order but it was worth it.

So the spot is mostly outdoor now. A dude with a massive sword acting funny rolled by freaking my partner and I out, but we decided to stay. I got a mushroom, soyrizo, chicken, and Asada taco. The mushroom was the best. Chicken wasn't well seasoned and the asada was so tough and dry. The salsas were amazing. Loved the tomatillo and avacado. The corn tortillas felt store bought and not too flavorful. The Vegan Horchata was amazing and by far my favorite part of the meal. I would come back. Nothing close to LA tacos, but certainly acceptable.

Pretty good tacos and nachos! Tortilla chips are made in house and are delicious. Have returned to eat here a few times- overall pretty good.

Amazing! you have to try the sauces with lots of meat choices, with a fast service. Intriguing robots on the shelves

It's been a while since I've eaten here, but we were in the area and wanted to grab dinner. The picture doesn't do it justice because we got our food to go. I've always had pleasant enough service, we were waiting outside because it was busy and our to-go orders were brought out to us. I'm always about the nachos here, but tacos and burritos are also good. Hearty portions and delicious. Meat is tasty and I've never had an issue with the quality of ingredients. It's small, so it can get crowded inside. We often just grab our food to go because of that. I'd definitely return if in the neighborhood.

The prices on their profile don't match the website. It's more expensive on the website and in the store. I get that prices have gone up everywhere but when you come in for chips and salsa and a burrito and leave paying 20+. I don't know if it's worth it. I'd just got to Ole Ole instead. Don't think this is premium quality and I don't think it's worth the price anymore. They did give way too many chips. Maybe they consider it a serving for 2 people...

I used to like this place but I've had two bad orders there recently. Today I had to saddest burrito I ever ate. I asked for vegan basic burrito. Should've had pico in it at least. It was tiny and had only three things: beans, rice, dab of guac. Over 8 bucks. I went bc the cart I usually go to with best vegan burritos (and cheaper!!) were closed. Let this be a lesson to me.

Update 1/8/20: I loved this place, I really did. For the last 6 months I've had an appt in the area so we made a lunch visit part of the day. Today is our last visit. No matter how much I like a place once I've gotten food with a hair in it, I just can't go back. Cashier was apathetic about it but I didn't expect more from them. Hair was in my first bite of a faux pork taco. Sanitized my mouth with a margarita mouthwash swish and got out of there. Note: the margaritas and previous visits were good enough I couldn't bring myself to give them one star

Wow! What the hell happened to robo taco. Piss poor service ruined my appetite. Probably not a good idea to keep front of house staff who treats someone like they just killed her dog. Sorry to bother you with my order. I'll come back the next time I want to be treated like shit

This taco joint had been in my bookmarks for a while so I'm glad to actually check it off my list. Fairly simple taco menu - I ordered the two taco plate and both tacos were tasty. Moist meat and the portions are large. Indoor and outdoor seating. Order at the front and get assigned a number. Bus your own table.

This place is usually a good place to go for late night munchies. They use to be open a lot later I think, but now is only open til midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Still, it's a good place to get some tacos and nachos. This is exactly what my friends and I did a few days ago. We ordered the lengua tacos, carne asada tacos, and carne asada nachos. The tacos came out quick as well as our nachos. The service was pretty decent, even with the loud crowd waiting in line.

The most danky dank place of all the dankest places You can't go wrong with anything in their menu. This place have your taste buds be goin "mmm mm mmm" then boom. You're hooked. Wanting more of Robo Taco's delicious, juicy, burritos. 12/10 would eat here again

F$%#ing amazing! Try it.... or die a sad and unfulfilled life. Tacos are amazing along with the burritos. Haven't tried any of the other dishes, but, I'm sure it's all delicious. Just seems like that kinda place.

A co-worker and I walked to Robo Taco for lunch on one of my visits to Portland. The lady working behind the counter was friendly and gave us her recommendations. We ordered and paid, then found a place to sit. Robo Taco is a casual, help yourself to whatever you need local joint. We had a Giant Soft Taco with steak and guacamole and a Giant soft taco with chicken and guacamole. The tacos were cheap, quick, and messy. It was a perfect quick lunch, thanks Robo Taco!

Congratulations to Robo Taco for inspiring me to sign up for Yelp because of their 1. horrible service and 2. their turd like food. Scene: It was hot as balls day and it was my first time visiting. About the horrible service: I come in, wait in line and see the cashier/ order taker is super friendly to the guys in front of me ordering their tacos. I think "great, this is awesome and it's close to my office, I'll come back here again". My turn to order... not a "hi" "how's your day" NOTHING. The woman taking orders went from a costumer service Disney princess to a sad troll. Her opening line "what are you ordering" well... I ordered a damn chile relleno but homegirl couldn't understand me because I wasn't pronouncing it with a thick American accent. My bad, I should have said: may I get a chee-lay rey-yay-nouh. 10 minutes go by and she calls my name up. I couldn't really see her when she called my name, she must have been hiding in her nice little hobbit den. I get my food and tell her "have a good one" to which she says nothing... I'm sorry you hate your job so much lady. Maybe you should go back and finish your college degree and find happiness. Anyway, I go back to my office and see these turd like nasty greasy objects sitting sadly at the bottom of a cardboard container. I heard my grandmothers disappointed sigh in the wind and tossed those sad little chiles in the garbage. Customers are paying you, please be pleasant and make good food. That's all there is to it.

This place has actually pretty decent tacos but I have no idea why in the hell they would only be open from 3 PM on during the week. It's an order at the counter mediocre dining room setting type situation much more applicable for lunch eating and a real dinner situation. I used to eat lunch there all the time and haven't been there in well over a year because of this. I wish Robo taco would get their shit together and be open for lunch. It is definitely more of a lunch spot and I didn't respond in my opinion, after all.

I love these unassuming joints that serve great food at a great price and in great quantities. Of their salsas, only the cilantro lime was intriguing. The others I'd only put on food to discourage someone from taking any of their great food away from me. The service was average. Shoutout to vegan refried beans! (Many vegan and veggie options) Nachos with Barbacoa: Thick, crunchy tortilla chips! These loaded nachos came with rice, beans, cheese, guacamole, and SOOOO MUCH SUCCULENT MEAT. Quesadillas: Definitely not something I could make at home. While most get flattened and crispy, the bread was actually fluffy. Enough for 3 hungry guys to share. Enchiladas: The sauce on top tried so hard to be mole but couldn't quite make it. There was a weird flavor there. I tried their Spicy Vegan Sausage and Soy Verde as fillings, but honestly it was all such a mess of sauce and cheese that I couldn't tell what the fillings were.

I agree with previous reviews saying this place is underrated--I had a great experience and would definitely recommend for quick authentic tacos, fast service, and fair prices. My mexican plate with two tacos turned out to be a LOT of food--I wish I had less food and more tortillas/chips to dip in my extra guac and salsa. The tacos themselves were very small but fully loaded with meat and they were a little tricky to eat without making a huge mess, but definitely fun and yummy! It felt like a quirky but high-quality quick bite but also a good place to grab a couple quick late-nights tacos as well. Definitely give robo taco a shot next time you're in the area!